TheGrinder_Kobo

by Steph

  “Great. Thanks! So, how’d your date go last night? She was really pretty.”

  And the kid had no filter whatsoever around his teammates.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Riley reached out and smacked the kid on the back of the helmet. “Do a couple more laps before I kick your ass.”

  CJ turned and back-skated, grinning all the way down the ice. “Only if you can catch me.”

  He didn’t bother to chase CJ. The kid would come back to him, like a huge, gangly puppy, ready to play.

  Riley had much prettier prey to pursue.

  Chapter Five

  “Hey, Aly. I had a great time last night and I really want to see you again tonight. Game’s at five tonight if you want to come. I’ll leave tickets at will-call. Then maybe we can get some food.” He paused and, when he spoke again, his voice had dropped a few octaves and she had to listen closely to hear him. “Or maybe we can just find a bed and I can make you come a few times before we get to the really good stuff. Up to you. Let me know about the tickets.”

  Standing in her kitchen by herself, Aly blushed even though no one could hear the message Riley had left on her phone.

  But that blush wasn’t embarrassment. No, his words ignited a firestorm of heat in her body. Her thighs clenched, her nipples peaked, and her hand curled into fists.

  It was her own fault. She’d told him last night she wanted everything he had to give her and to be as dirty as he wanted. He’d taken her at her word, which she loved.

  Riley hadn’t known her all her life. He didn’t know that she was such a goody-two-shoes that most people who knew her were shocked when she said “damn.”

  They’d probably think she’d been possessed by the devil if they found out what she’d done with Riley last night. And what she planned to do with Riley tonight.

  She wanted to be bad.

  Shaking her head, she forced herself to put the groceries away instead of listening to that message again.

  Vivi was at the tattoo studio, where she’d be most of the day before she and her friends headed out to the bars, where they’d be before hitting the after-hours clubs until four or five in the morning.

  Aly had never understood the appeal of getting so drunk you couldn’t remember what you did the night before, but Vivi seemed to enjoy the hell out of it. Mostly because their mom absolutely hated that she did it.

  But tonight it meant that Vivi would probably crash on a friend’s couch for the night and she and Riley could make as much noise as they wanted and she wouldn’t have to hear about it from her sister tomorrow morning.

  But it also meant she’d probably be going to the game by herself tonight. Hopefully she’d be able to sit with Lori and Bliss.

  Finally, after every last can had been stowed, she pressed the call button on her phone and was a little disappointed when it went straight to voice mail.

  “You’ve reached Riley. Leave me a message.”

  Holy crap. How amazing was it that just the sound of his voice made her want to pant?

  “Hi. It’s me. Aly.” She rolled her eyes. “I’d love to come to the game tonight so thanks. And,” she paused and sucked in a fortifying breath, “why don’t we come back to my place for drinks afterward? See you soon.”

  She hung up, hoping she hadn’t sounded like a rabid nympho whose only goal in life was to get laid. Or worse, like a pathetic twenty-eight-year-old who hadn’t gotten laid for months before last night.

  “Well, you got laid last night. And you can’t complain about that.”

  With a smile, she looked at the clock and sighed, wondering if she’d be able to breathe by the time the puck dropped.

  * * * * *

  “You look like the cat who ate the pussy. You obviously had a good time last night. She is very nice, yes, to put that smile on your face.”

  The noise level in the locker room was high as the team dressed for warm-ups, but Jake had made sure everyone could hear him.

  Riley stifled a groan as the rest of the team threw things at Jake for his deliberate mangling of the English language. Everyone knew he’d done it deliberately. His English was perfect when it had to be.

  Riley even managed to suppress his instinct to flip Jake off because that would just make him worse and draw attention Riley didn’t want.

  If the team didn’t need the little prick so badly, Riley would lay Jake out on the ice. He’d ring his bell hard and then he’d do it once more for good measure. And the rest of the team would laugh because the guy fucking deserved it.

  But the guy was too damn good on the ice.

  “Dude, you fucking score more than Ovechkin.” Winger Tyler Richardson shook his head, shit-eating grin on his face as he pulled up his shorts. “I wanna be you when I grow up.”

  On the other hand, Tyler would probably ride the bench most of the season. Riley could take him out with no hassle. Except then Riley would be riding the bench.

  “Maybe you could give me some pointers,” Tyler continued to needle him. “Like how you managed those twins last year. Your reputation precedes you, man. I bow down to your expertise.”

  And then the little shit actually got down on his knees and laid himself out.

  “Dickardson, get your ass off the floor.” Lad Marchenko put his foot on Tyler’s ass and shoved him just hard enough for Tyler to feel it. And then roll over onto his back and act like he’d been shot.

  Riley shook his head and gave Tyler the finger he’d been going to give Jake.

  As the conversation thankfully moved on to something else as they got ready for warm-ups before the game, Riley shrugged off comments.

  For fuck’s sake, Tyler’s reputation was almost as bad as his own, although he was five years younger. Then again, Riley hadn’t gained his reputation overnight. He’d built it up over the past ten years. And it’d be a hard thing to live down in just a few short weeks.

  He hoped like hell Aly never got wind of it.

  “Just ignore him. He’s being a dick.” Shane sat on the bench across from Riley, strapping on his leg pads. “Bliss likes her. Said Aly’s really smart. Like brainy smart. And maybe a little shy.”

  That made Riley’s eyebrows rise. “Shy? Really?”

  That certainly hadn’t been Riley’s impression.

  “Yeah. She also said she was really nice.” Now Shane looked up at him with raised eyebrows. “So you seeing her again tonight?”

  Since it was Shane asking, and not one of the kids, he answered. “Yeah.”

  He didn’t say anything else and Shane’s eyebrows rose higher. “That’s kind of unusual for you, isn’t it?”

  The words “fuck” and “you” were on the tip of his tongue, but Shane didn’t have a shit-eating grin on his face and he wasn’t looking to bust Riley’s ass. He actually sounded curious.

  “Actually, no, it’s not.” Riley tugged his sweater over his head and grabbed his helmet. “At least, not lately.”

  “Turning over a new leaf?”

  “Don’t you have a pre-game routine to go through?”

  Like almost every goalie Riley had ever met, Shane had a specific ritual he performed before each game.

  Shane grinned now. “Yes, I do. Talk to you later, Rye.”

  “Not if we’re gonna talk about our feelings.”

  Now Shane laughed, drawing the interest of the rest of the team for the simple reason that the goalie was always so intensely focused before a game. This season, though, he’d been loosening up a little. And playing better than he’d ever played. Yes, they were only a couple months into the season, but everyone had noticed his playing had elevated to another level.

  He wouldn’t be in this league long.

  Riley was thrilled for the guy. Shane worked hard and was talented as all hell.

  And Riley should take that to heart and concentrate on the game tonight and not a certain woman who’d be waiting for him after the game.

  * * * * *

  “…older than most of the guys…fuckable…gorg
eous…a real manwhore…love to get in those pants…shouldn’t have much trouble…Riley…never last…”

  The two women holding the conversation behind Aly hadn’t registered until she heard Riley’s name. The noise level in the arena this afternoon was higher than it’d been last night. Bigger crowd, too.

  Every seat around her was taken, a few by other girlfriends introduced to her by Bliss and Lori.

  Most were friendly. But there’d been a couple who’d taken one look at her and immediately dismissed her, going back to their whispered conversation. Aly shrugged it off and dropped back into conversation with Bliss and Lori.

  But now they were talking about Riley. Her Riley. She hadn’t heard everything they’d said but she’d heard enough. Riley had a reputation, at least according to the girls behind her. He slept around. A lot.

  Somewhere beyond the buzzing in her ears, she heard the horn announcing the end of the first period.

  “Hey, Aly. You okay?”

  She glanced up at Bliss’s voice, forcing a smile she didn’t feel.

  “I’m fine.” She stood to let Lori get by her. “It’s really loud in here today. Hard to hold a conversation.”

  “Yeah, the team’s been on a marketing push to get people in the seats. Seems to be working.”

  Bliss’s gaze shot over her shoulder to the younger women who were still chatting away, although now it was harder to hear them, what with the throbbing music and the announcer talking about season tickets.

  “There are definitely more people here today than last night.” She raised her brows at Aly. “Some of them really don’t need to be. Guess you heard the idiot twins spouting off?”

  “No, not really. Sounds like they know Riley, though.”

  Bliss rolled her eyes. “They don’t know shit. Ignore them.”

  Shrugging, Aly sighed. “I don’t know him either. I only met the man two days ago. How can you get to know someone in such a short time?”

  Especially when some of that time had been spent scrambling her brain cells with amazing sex.

  Which just meant he’d had a lot of practice.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here again today.” Bliss smiled. “And that you’re enjoying the game. I’d never really been to a Redtails game before I started dating Shane. Now I can’t even think about summer and the off season. It’s like being punished.”

  Aly laughed, shaking her head. “You’ve become a true convert.”

  “I have. It doesn’t hurt that my guy is a damn good player.”

  Behind them, the younger girls who’d been talking about Riley exploded into laughter, though now they’d lowered their voices enough that Aly couldn’t hear them.

  Bliss rolled her eyes again and leaned over to whisper into Aly’s ear. “The puck bunnies are just jealous because they haven’t been able to snag a player yet this season. Most of the older guys are beyond screwing every girl who gives them a look. And a lot of this year’s team seem a little more…grounded, if you know what I mean. Don’t get me wrong, there are still a few looking to get laid every night, but they’re not all horndogs.”

  “But Riley has a reputation, doesn’t he?”

  Sighing, Bliss’s nose wrinkled. “I’m really not trying to deflect and I’m not making excuses but…yeah, he has a reputation. Although I can honestly say, since he’s been here, he hasn’t dated anyone but you. I think, after his divorce, he—”

  “His divorce?”

  Bliss’s eyes went wide. “Shit, he didn’t tell you?” She groaned. “Me and my big mouth. Damn it, I thought you knew. I don’t think it’s a state secret or anything because he mentioned it in passing when we’d met. I think it’s been years since it was finalized. She was his high school sweetheart but she couldn’t deal with him being on the road all the time. Or something. I really don’t know details. You need to ask him.” She grimaced. “And then tell him I’m sorry for opening my big mouth.”

  Aly shook her head, feeling sorry for making Bliss feel bad. “No harm, no foul. I mean, we’ve all got a past.”

  “You’re absolutely right. My past involved an emotionally abusive ex who almost made me give up Shane. Luckily I pulled my shit together and now I can’t imagine my life without him. Stuff works out. And now I need a drink so I don’t continue to run at the mouth.”

  Aly laughed and followed Bliss to the beer stand, but throughout the rest of the game, her mind continued to come back to the fact that Shane had been married.

  She didn’t know why it bothered her. Hell, they’d just met. It wasn’t like they’d shared every aspect of their lives and he’d hidden that fact from her. It just hadn’t come up yet.

  And so what if he’d slept with a few girls, or maybe more than a few? She’d slept with other guys. Okay, maybe she could count on one hand the number of guys she’d slept with. That only made her picky. Nothing wrong with that.

  Riley hadn’t been picky. She couldn’t exactly hold that against him. They didn’t have an exclusive relationship. They’d had two dates and spent one absolutely amazing hour fucking each other’s brains out.

  It just meant there was no way she would get attached. Yes, the sex had been great. And she hoped there’d be more tonight. And if their affair continued for a week or a month…great. Eventually it would end. She’d keep her emotions out of the equation and enjoy the hell out of the orgasms.

  As she waited for Riley, she saw Shane wrap his arms around Bliss and kiss her, smiling when Shane grabbed her tight and lifted her off her feet.

  The expression on his face…no one could doubt how he felt about Bliss.

  The guy loved her.

  Aly wanted that kind of love. Where all you had to do was look at the person and you knew. And that didn’t happen over a weekend. That took months. Sometimes it took years.

  Riley emerged from the locker room at that moment. He spared a quick grin for Bliss and Shane then turned that grin on her. And that grin did weird and wonderful things to her body.

  Easy, girl.

  She smiled back, unable to do anything else.

  And then he reached for her and pulled her against him. She had a quick second to appreciate how much bigger he was than her. And then he bent and kissed her and it was almost as intensely passionate as the kiss Shane had laid on Bliss.

  “Get a room.”

  The taunt filtered through the open hall and Aly heard laughter. Maybe she should be embarrassed by the PDA, especially because Riley held nothing back. He kissed her like they’d been dating for years, not just since two nights ago.

  But she couldn’t be angry at him. She didn’t want him to stop.

  And he didn’t, not for a good minute, while he fried her brain with his lips and his tongue. Hell, he only had to put his hand low on her back and she was ready to slide her hands down his pants and cup his ass.

  Good thing she had some common sense left.

  A second later, Riley pulled back, gave her another smile then hustled her toward the exit.

  “Glad you could make it tonight. I’m starving. You mind if we get a drink somewhere that has decent food?”

  “Of course not. You—”

  “Hey, Riley. Good game tonight.”

  A woman Aly didn’t recognize smiled at Riley as they made their way through the hall. He nodded at her but kept moving.

  “Thanks a lot.”

  But she wasn’t giving up that easy. “Will I see you at the Spruce?”

  “Not tonight.”

  This time he didn’t even bother to look at the woman, just gave a vague wave as he spoke over his shoulder. Dismissed her as if he hadn’t even seen her. And maybe he hadn’t.

  Had he slept with her? Is that how he’d treat her one day?

  Jesus, when did you become such a whiny, needy bitch?

  “So where should we go?” Riley steered her around the maze of cars in the small parking lot next to the rink where the team parked. “I haven’t been around long enough to figure out more than a few decent pla
ces.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go out with the rest of the team? I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”

  “I’d rather spend the time with you.” His frank answer drew her gaze up to his, and she found him staring intently down at her. “If that’s okay?”

  She couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I’m fine with that. What are you hungry for?”

  “Red meat.” His grin made a reappearance and he leaned a little closer. “And later, some a little more…pink.”

  She couldn’t help it. She blushed. “Riley.”

  He looked so damn innocent. “What? What’d I say?”

  Shaking her head, she kept walking. “Are you always like this?”

  “Like what? Hey, where’d you park? Do we need to drop your car off at home before we head out?”

  Another blush because her sister had insisted on driving her into the game tonight so Riley would have to take her home. “No, I don’t have my car. I, ah, caught a ride with my sister. She works a few blocks away at a tattoo shop.”

  Riley’s smile grew impossibly wider and hotter. “I like your sister.”

  He stopped at his truck, threw his bag in the back then opened the passenger door for her before getting in the other side.

  “I’m sure you would. She’s amazing.”

  “Then she’s probably a lot like you.”

  She’d never dated a guy who was so comfortable dishing out compliments. It was a little unnerving. And completely endearing.

  “Actually we’re pretty different.”

  He just smiled. “So, where are we going?”

  She thought about it for a few seconds as he started the truck. She wanted to have him to herself.

  “There’s a place in Exeter that does great burgers. The kitchen’s open until midnight. It’s kind of quiet—”

  “Sounds perfect. Just point me in the right direction.”

  She thought about her response for a second. “You didn’t seem to have trouble finding your way around last night.”

  His laughter filled the car, making her want to close the space between them and snuggle up to his side. “There you go, hon. You do have a little naughty in you.”